The Dragon's Kiss

Chapter 5 - The Eyes

"Liana, you need to speak the truth if you want us to get her back," Mrs. Parker cried, frowning at her. "Just tell us what actually happened."

"I am telling the truth," Liana snapped. "Why don't you guys believe me?" She exclaimed, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"What were the two of you doing that night?" Mr. Parker asked, his gaze hard. "Did you take something?"

Liana stared at him in disbelief, tears forming in her eyes. "Dad... you're accusing us of doing drugs?" she whispered. Well, at least I didn't.

"I'm just asking you to tell me the truth. Because unless you were drunk, or high, seeing a vortex in a wall is not possible," he sighed. He was getting worked up again, and by that point, even their mother was staring at Liana with a scrutinizing look.

Liana nodded, pursing her lips. "Never mind," she whispered, wiping away her tears. "I don't need anyone's help. I'll find my sister myself." She sniffed, standing up from the couch.

"Lia, wait," Mrs. Parker tried.

But she ignored her, rushing up the stairs, leaving them alone. Mr. and Mrs. Parker glanced at each other, both of them frowning in worry, as well as grief. They heard her slam the door shut, and Mrs. Parker buried her face in her hands, weeping loudly.

- - - -

"What is this place?" Ashley whispered, looking around. She felt her stomach twist, as the surroundings got darker and darker. 

"We're almost there," Haco stated, not bothering to turn to her.

"Are you sure?" she muttered, frowning. "What if Valak has brought us to the wrong place?"

Haco clicked his tongue. "What did we say about trust?"

Ashley sighed. Trust. So easy for him to say, she thought. Completely the opposite for her. He wasn't the one being kidnapped, she was. How could she blindly trust the man who ripped her away from everything she had ever known? 

She lowered her gaze. Her eyes focused on Valak's fur, and her mouth parted in fascination. It radiated a faint, orange glow, much like the elements of the forest. She narrowed her eyes to look carefully, tracing her hand over it. It felt like glowing silk between her fingers, and her heart raced slightly, mesmerized by its beauty. "What conditioner do you use on him?" 

"What?"

She did not reply.

Valak eventually came to a stop, and Ashley now looked up again. The place was dark as night, the only light source being Valak's luminescent fur. It was also completely silent, allowing the two of them to hear each other's breaths.

Haco jumped off of Valak, and opened his arms for her. She felt heat creep up her cheeks, as she hesitantly placed her hands on his broad shoulders. He effortlessly picked her up by the waist, and pulled her off, their noses accidentally brushing against each other whilst he placed her on the ground. She bit her lip, quickly stepping away from him. In the last few hours, she had had more physical contact with the opposite gender, than she had in the seventeen years of her life. It was truly ironic, and completely unreal. A chuckle escaped her lips at the thought. She had been introduced to a whole new world, and what moved her was the interaction with an attractive man. She truly had been deprived of her fair share of men.

Her smile and thoughts dissolved when Haco stepped closer to her, and leaned in to her ear. She sucked in a breath, freezing in her spot as his warm breath traced over her skin.

"Keep in mind what I told you before we came here. Do everything as I say, follow my every command, and agree to anything I say."

She wasn't sure whether it was his deep, velvety voice, his perfect looks, or the words he said, but in that moment, she felt her heart skip a beat, before it began to knock against her ribs. 

"Do you understand?" He looked her in the eye, his piercing blue eyes boring into her brown ones.

Ashley gulped, nodding. He stepped away from her, and gently took her hand in his, giving her a look of reassurance. Her cheeks flushed again as she followed him through the darkness, maintaining a close distance to him. His body radiated a weird, comforting warmth, in contrast to the chilly air that was giving rise to goosebumps on her skin. She mentally cursed the thin, airy material of the gown she wore. It blocked out almost nothing, and she wondered whether it put her undergarments on display. She suddenly realized she wasn't wearing any, and her cheeks tinged darker, the thought that a man had seen her stark naked adding to her discomfort.

Eventually, Haco stopped walking.

"Haco Vindic," he announced, looking up at something.

Ashley frowned, wondering if he was able to see in the dark, or he was just too used to the place. He seemed confident, his posture relaxed and calm, and his breathing was steady. Much unlike herself. A moment later, the darkness around them seemed to crumble and shatter like a broken mirror, before dissolving into dark fumes. Bright lights filled the area through the cracks, and Ashley let out a small gasp, unconsciously grabbing onto his arm. He gazed down at her hand holding his, and then glanced at her, whilst she obliviously observed the environment.

Once the shadows were completely lifted, Ashley realized where they were: a place of vibrant beauty and colors. A lush, lively meadow, covered in thick vegetation and exotic plants. Black and pink roses, color changing lilies, and thick lavender grass that completely drowned their feet. Small beads of light that gently levitated in the air, making everything look absolutely mystical. There was a huge gate of white wood, guarded by two men, holding spears large enough to slay monsters. Or dracones. They had grim looks on their faces, their rigid postures radiating an aura of authority and danger, a lot like Haco himself, but somehow still less. Their eyes were guarded and unwelcoming, as they wordlessly stared on. 

Ashley felt something touch her shoulder, and she instantly glanced at it, her eyes lighting up when she realized what it was. "Sky," she whispered, a huge smile forming on her face. It flew away again, setting down on Haco's extended finger.

"Hello there," he smiled down at it.

"She can talk too?" Ashley asked, slightly excited.

"No. But I can," he shrugged, disappointing her.

Sky flew away again, over the gate, and disappeared inside. "Where has she gone?" Ashley asked, glancing at Haco.

"The same place we're going. Come on," Haco took Ashley's hand again, "this is the moment. We're about to find out if you really are the wrong girl." He now looked slightly nervous, causing Ashley's heart to race even faster. She gulped, allowing him to lead her towards the gate. He stepped in front of her, glancing at the guards. 

"Ailen. Sol." Haco nodded at them one by one.

"Haco," the two replied in unison. 

"Prove yourself," Ailen stated.

"How long before the darkness falls?" Sol questioned.

"Only until the Light rises," Haco replied.

"How long before the Dracones yield?"

"Only until the Slayer shields."

"How long until the tyranny ends?"

Haco glanced at Ashley, his eyes unreadable. "Only until the Goddess mends."

Ashley frowned at him. The phrases sounded like some kind of a password, because as soon as Haco said them, the guards moved away from the gate. Haco walked over to it, and pushed it open, before turning to her. "Come." He extended his hand for her.

She hesitantly joined him, taking his hand, and they walked inside together. They were instantly greeted by giggles of children, and a buzz of excited conversation. The pleasant scent of flowers and nature flooded her nose, and she felt her nerves relax slightly. They stood in a kind of a town square, a busy one at that. Ashley gazed up at the night sky, a gasp escaping her lips when she found a bright blue moon glimmering down at her. Clusters of stars littered around it, their colors cool toned, but different from each other. 

She moved her gaze down again, now focusing on what was around her. They were surrounded by people, who looked human at the first glance, living their normal lives. But as she stared on, small inconsistencies reminded her of how different they were. Some had eye colors she had never seen before, including yellows, pinks and even whites. Some had hair that trailed behind them as they walked, stretching for over a meter. The women had theirs decorated with beads and flowers, beautiful and intricate. Almost all the men looked like skilled fighters, their physiques and scars speaking for them.

"Haco is back!" A red-haired girl announced, a cheerful smile on her face. All heads turned to them, causing her heart to beat faster in anxiety. Ashley unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand, and Haco glanced down at her.

"Don't worry, these are all good people," he whispered, noticing her discomfort.

"Yeah, I don't really like goodness. There's so much pink around," Ashley muttered, not wanting to admit her fear.

The redhead rushed up to them, throwing herself at Haco. He barely caught her, laughing, as he wrapped his arms around her.

Ashley instantly missed the warmth of his hand in hers, as the unfamiliarity of everything around her sent chills through her body.

"You fox, I missed you," she said to him, hugging him tightly.

Ashley stepped away from the two, silently observing the girl. She looked different from the others... slightly more human. Her hair was thick and shiny, falling to her waist in beautiful curls. Her skin was the same color as Haco's, a beautiful golden brown. Her clothes too, were unique. Unlike the rest of the women who were crowding around them, the redhead was dressed in a warrior's outfit. The other women wore simple, yet beautiful gowns, but she wore a white tunic with a low neckline, along with a tight blue jacket that puffed out her breasts. The jacket seemed to be made of leather, and it was stained at the collar with tiny spots of blood. 

"Is she the one?" The girl asked, pulling away from Haco and turning to Ashley. 

Now that she properly saw her face, she realized she looked far from normal. Her silver eyes looked like they were almost glowing, radiant and full of life. She scanned Ashley's clothes, scrunching up her nose when her gaze fell upon her shoes. She was still wearing the black sneakers she had worn at the concert, and they definitely did not go with her outfit.

"We can discuss her later, Migara," Haco replied, taking her arm and turning her to himself. "Right now, I need to speak to Belina. Where is she?"

Migara glanced at Ashley again, looking her up and down with a gaze full of judgement. 

"Migara," Haco sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Belina. Where is she?"

"Where the old woman always is," Migara replied, meeting his gaze. "At the temple."

"Okay," Haco nodded. He leaned in to her ear, and whispered something Ashley couldn't hear.

Migara nodded, stepping away from him. He then walked over to Ashley, and pulled her away from the crowd by her arm. 

"Do not speak to anyone until I tell you to. And stay here until I come back," he stated. "Is that clear?"

"Where are you going?" Ashley asked, her eyes wide. "Don't leave me alone here," she whispered.

"Just do as I say," Haco replied. "I'll be back in a minute. Besides, you're not alone. Migara will keep you company."

"No, I'd rather be alone, actually," Ashley replied sarcastically, nodding at him.

Haco chuckled, looking away from her. "Don't worry. She only looks intimidating. You'll be fine."

Ashley glared at him as he walked away from her, but she could not see where exactly he was going; as soon as he left her side, everyone else surrounded her. Each of them had different expressions on their faces as they stared at her: some were smiling, some were whispering to each other, and there were those who she could tell were outright disappointed. Ashley did not blame them, she knew what they were expecting Haco to bring. A woman with magical powers, a beautiful Goddess who would solve their problems. Not an ordinary girl like her. The Daughter of Light? She did not sound like a seventeen year old, goth chick with dark hair and plain brown eyes. Pale skin? Maybe. But she was definitely not her.

"Give the girl some room to breathe," Migara announced, making her way through the crowd and stopping in front of her. 

"Is she the Goddess?" 

"Will we finally be free?"

"When will she start teaching us?"

"I can't wait for training!"

"How old is she? She looks so young."

"Isn't she too skinny?"

"She is not the Daughter of Light."

The excitement died down as soon as the last words were said, and a man stepped forward from the crowd. His scornful gaze met Ashley's confused one, and he walked towards her, until Migara blocked his way.

"Keep your distance, Erik," Migara warned, narrowing her eyes at him.

He shrugged, stepping back. "Sure, I don't have any intentions of going too close to her. Just look at her," he eyed her with distaste, "she looks like the spawn of evil, not the Daughter of Light. Black hair, dark eyes, black lips. She's too dull."

Ashley let out a chuckle, and once again, all eyes were on her. She crossed her arms over her chest, staring back at Erik. "That was a good try," she smiled sarcastically. "But I've been called worse. And my lips aren't black. This is a dark plum shade, you uncultured swine." 

The people looked at each other in shock and fear, as they started talking and whispering amongst themselves.

"Uncultured swine?" Erik exclaimed, clearly offended.

Ashley smirked, proud of the insult. She had a lot of more colorful things she wanted to say to him, but she knew it would be too much for them to understand.

Migara shot Ashley a glare, before turning back to the people, her jaw clenched. "That's enough," she announced. "Go back to whatever you were doing. You'll be told if anything important happens."

"We deserve complete transparency," Erik retorted. "This is not like your usual political matters. This is the Daughter of Light we are talking about. We have used up all of our resources on those Transporters, and Haco brings us this... fiend?"

Ashley scoffed, gaping at him. "Speak for yourself, dude. I'm not the one with purple, demonic eyes."

The crowd gasped again, all of them staring at her in disbelief.

Migara turned to her, a hard glare on her face.

"Do you have any idea what you've just said?" she said through gritted teeth.

"He called me a fiend, so I called him one in return," Ashley shrugged.

"You insulted his eyes. You never insult eyes," Migara frowned, stepping back as she pulled her sword out. 

"Wha-- look out!" Ashley yelled, covering her mouth as Erik attacked Migara from behind, tackling her to the ground.

- - - - - -